Saturday, May 12, 2012

A little of this, a little of that

Okay. Have you ever been going about your merry little way, minding your own little business when God jumped in and totally gave you a kick in the pants? And you then had a huge "really Lord, that's what you think about that?" moment.

I know I've made reference several times to the book So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore. And if I could ever actually stick with one book and finish it before moving on to another, I'd probably be less overwhelmed by all the really good stuff I read and it would stick in my tiny little memory and I'd be able to recall it when the devil comes knocking which seems to more often than I'd like.

But, since I don't do that, I will most likely keep sharing with you all from the same few books that I continue to read. The good thing is they are all really, really good books, packed full of really, really good advice.

I think all gals from the time they can read on up to the great-grandmothers should take the time {no matter how long that may be} and read So Long, Insecurity. We women are some nasty creatures, you know? It's amazing how crazy mean we can be to each other.

That's not necessarily the subject I'm writing about today but it is a really big one in this book.

If we can't be the most attractive, at least we can be the best at something.

And if we can't be the best at something, we can at least be the hardest working.

And if we can't be the hardest working, we can at least be the most congenial.

And if we can't be the most congenial, we can at least be the most noticeable.

And if we can't be the most noticeable, we can at least be the most religious.

And if we can't be the most religious, we can at least be the most exhausted.

---------So Long, Insecurity

I love it!

And here is the big fat kick in my pants:::

Superiority can't give birth to security. Neither, by the way, can the relentless pursuit of perfection.

.......perfectionism is insecurity in art form. It never looks prettier and never acts deadlier. Perfectionism is perhaps our culture's biggest temptation. In his fascinating book Perfecting Ourselves to Death, psychiatrist and theologian Richard Winter offers this intriguing insight:

Although perfectionists seem very insecure, doubting their decisions and actions, fearing mistakes and rejection, and having low opinions of themselves, at the same time, they have excessively high personal standards and an exaggerated emphasis on precision, order and organization, which suggests an aspiration to be better than others.

---------So Long, Insecurity

Really? I honestly had no idea that by being a perfectionist I was also being prideful. I know that I have always been a little on the OCD side and even as a child I wanted things to be neat and clean. So I am very well aware of the fact that a certain amount of my perfectionism is simply the way God made me. It's who I am. And to be honest, I wouldn't trade that. I'd just like to be able to 'let go and live a little'. To be neat and clean but not be a perfectionist. And maybe that's where the p-r-i-d-e part comes in.

And I certainly did not know that perfectionism was a result of insecurity. I know that we all have insecurities. All of us. Even those who seem to have it all. But I had never put it together with being a perfectionist.

So, prideful and insecure. That's a hard one to swallow. This book is so good at that ;) But I like it. It's challenging. It opens our eyes and hearts. And in turn helps us to know how to 'heal'.

I am slowly getting Allie Beth's room put together. I fought forever with the idea of letting her come out of the crib. And to be honest, I really didn't 'decide' it was time. She pretty much decided for me when she started climbing in and out of it on her own. She was like 2 1/2 so maybe it was time. I just couldn't come to grips with the fact that she didn't need her crib anymore and quite frankly it was too convenient. A 'cage' of sorts. You know. Like stick her in the bed and she can't go anywhere.

Ha! Ha! And several other things with it;) When I finish reading it, I'll pass it on to you! And thank you for the "project" that you did with the kids for me! That was sweet! Looking forward to Lane's dedication! Happy Mother's Day!:-)